


One Night at Woody's

by Jadeqaf



Series: Wild Beginnings Universe [2]
Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 05:06:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15065792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadeqaf/pseuds/Jadeqaf
Summary: Michael and Justin tell a grown Gus how they made up after the Rage party in season 2





	One Night at Woody's

One Night at Woody’s  
2022

~~~~

Looking around, Michael walked into Woody's. He'd gotten a strange phone call from Gus, who wanted to meet him here. Spying him in the corner, he walked over to him. "Hey Gus. What's up?"

Gus looked up from his beer. "Hey, Pop. Thanks for coming."

"It's no big deal. I hit a block on my new story and needed some time away anyway. What's up?"

Gus looked over Michael's shoulder and smiled. "Oh, not much. I just wanted to talk to you and...." He broke off as a hand touched Michael's shoulder.

Michael turned to see who it was and smiled. "Boy Wonder. When did you get back?" He stood up and hugged his best friend.

Justin returned the hug. "Last night. Gus caught me before I left to come see you." Justin had been in Los Angeles working out the kinks in the latest Rage movie. "Everything is fine now. They agreed to all our proposals."

Michael breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Have a seat, I'll buy you a drink." As Michael spoke, a waiter appeared.

"No you won't. That gentleman in the corner wants to buy you both a drink." The waiter pointed to an older gentleman in the corner. He was about Michael's age.

Justin laughed. "God, it's been twenty years. I can't believe people are still buying us drinks."

The waiter returned with the drinks and left quietly. Michael shook his head. "It doesn't happen very often anymore. Enjoy it."

Justin looked at Gus. "Now, what did you want to talk to us about?"

Gus pointed at the drinks in front of Michael and Justin. "That. Why do I get giggles when I mention Michael's name in here? And I know that the two of you weren't speaking for a while after Uncle Justin left my dad, how did you two make up?"

Michael exchanged amused glances with Justin. Lately Gus had been asking question about various events in the past. How Michael and Brian met: how Justin and Brian met, fell in love, and broke up. This was an easy story to tell, but they wouldn't all be.

"I'll let Justin start." Michael sat back to enjoy the story.

"Well, it started about two weeks after your dad and I broke up...."

 

~~~~

Present day 2002

"All right Justin. I have fucking had it with your god damn holier that thou attitude! You are fucking going to listen to me if I have to sit on you." Michael was drunk enough that he didn't care who heard him. Which at this time of night at Woody's was most of the gay population of Pittsburgh. Justin was on the other side of the room, avoiding him. Every time he tried to get close, Justin ran off. Michael was tired of trying to settle this privately.

Everyone was quiet. Justin walked over to Michael. "Can we do this somewhere else?"

"Oh, now you want privacy. I have been trying to talk to you for two fucking weeks. You won't return my calls, Ethan says you're asleep or at class; at the diner, you won't wait on me. So, it's here and now." Michael never lowered the volume of his voice.

Justin cringed. He'd been avoiding Michael ever since the Rage launch party. Michael would leave the script for the comic at the store for him to pick up and he would leave the artwork. Not the best way to work.

"Aren't you babysitting Brian tonight?" Michael had barely left Brian's side since he and Justin had broken up.

"It's Lindsey's turn. I needed a break. And don't change the fucking subject. This is about you and me."

"Ok. You want to talk. Go ahead." The volume of Justin's voice started to rise.

"Just how long are you going to be mad at me for telling Brian about violin boy?" Michael couldn't keep the contempt for Ethan out of his voice. It wasn't that he'd come between Justin and Brian, that could have been anyone. There was just something about him that none of Justin's friends liked.

"As long as I fucking want to."

"God you sound like a child. Grow up!!!!"

"Oh, you're a fine one to talk. When are you going to grow up and quit following Brian around like a puppy, waiting for a scrap of his affection?" Even with the booze drowning his common sense, Justin knew he'd gone to far, but he couldn't stop. "You can't even keep a boyfriend in town."

Justin never saw the fist until it connected with his face. When had Michael gotten some muscles?

Justin's fist seemed to move of it's own free will. Michael's head rocked back as it connected. "Oh, look, the baby wants to fight. Let's go."

It would have been funny. Actually, it was funny. The first punches were the only two that landed. It turned into a giant cat fight after that. Hair pulling, scratching, and biting. It didn't take long, Justin might have been younger, but Michael had learned more dirty tricks. Finally, Michael wrestled Justin to the ground, pinning his arms. The crowd had moved out of the way, but now were closing in to hear every word.

"Now, are you fucking ready to listen?" Michael didn't realize how far his voice carried in the dead silence of the bar.

"Doesn't look like I have a fucking choice, now does it?" Justin tried to find some pride in his defeat. It wasn't working.

"No it doesn't. So, you're still mad at me for telling Brian?"

"Yes. It was none of your business."

"Do you really believe that Brian is none of my business?"

Justin thought for a minute. "Yes. He may be your best friend, but he was my boyfriend."

Michael laughed. "Ok, let's try this from another angle. What would you have done if you'd seen Daphne's boyfriend kissing someone else?"

"Told her." That was a no brainer.

"Why?"

"Because she's my best......." The rest of Justin's words trailed off as he realized what he was saying. "But it's not the same. Daphne's boyfriend is not my friend. You should have talked to me first."

"Justin, you might be my friend. In fact, you are, which is why I've been trying so hard to get your attention. However, Brian is my best friend. That loyalty come first. And I think you wanted me to tell him."

"WHAT!?!?" Justin couldn't wait to hear how Michael had come up with that wild theory.

"Think about it. You knew I was across the street when you kissed him. Now, there are several possible explanations as to why you would be that stupid. One, you are stupid. Which we both know isn't true. You got a 1500 on your SAT's. Two, you were so carried away by lust, you forgot where you were. Which is a possibility, but you never forget where you are, even carried away by lust with Brian. Which leaves door number three. You wanted to tell Brian, but you were scared and for once, didn't have the balls to do it. So, you kissed Ethan where you knew I would see you and counted on me telling him."

Justin was quiet. Michael was right. He hadn't consciously done it, but he'd wanted Michael to take the matter out of his hands. This way, it was Michael's fault, not his. Not a very grown up thing to do. Seeing the fight go out of Justin, Michael let him up.

Michael looked at Justin. "I'm sorry. I just wanted you to be honest with him. And I didn't want him to get hurt."

"I know. And I'm sorry that I've been a pain in the ass for the last two weeks." Justin turned to sit down at a table when he saw the crowd. Blushing, he looked at Michael. "Looks like we had an audience."

Oddly, Michael didn't turn red. "Yeah, I know. But so what? I wanted to talk to you. I value your friendship." Michael hugged Justin as the crowd burst into applause.

As they sat down, someone brought them each a drink. "We didn't order these." Justin turned to look at the waiter.

The waiter laughed. "They are on the house, and we have a line of people who want to buy you a drink. Best floor show we've ever had."

Michael thanked him and turned back to Justin. "Now, Boy Wonder. Let's talk about Rage."

~~~~

Michael snapped back to the present. Gus was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down his face. Michael shot Justin an indulgent look.

"Gus, Gus. Snap out if it. Do you want me to continue?" Michael looked at his son. He liked talking to Gus about the past, mostly. It gave the young man a way to understand the people in his life.

Gus composed himself. "Sorry Father Michael. I know, you hate it when I call you that. You think it makes you sound like a priest." Wiping his eyes, he smiled. "Please continue."

Justin watched Gus. Sometimes it was amazing how much he looked like Brian. But he had a carefree and open personality that Brian never had. "There's really not much else to tell. Michael and I got smashed on all the free booze that night. I don't think we bought another drink at Woody's for at least a year."

Michael laughed. "And Justin and I started forging a friendship on something other than your father. We would all need that friendship later." Michael and Justin's eyes met in memory of the darker times in their lives. Sometimes the only thing that got them through it all, was each other. 

Gus let that pass. He knew that his fathers were close to Uncle Justin. He didn't know what they'd been through, but he knew it had forged unbreakable bonds between all of them. "And Dad still doesn't know the whole story?"

Laughing, Justin shook his head. "No. We didn't feel like telling him when he first asked, and then later, it just never seemed like the right time."

"Yeah, they never would tell me." Brian came up behind Michael and Justin. "And I only caught the last half of that, so I still don't know the whole story." Brian put one arm around both Michael and Justin's necks.

Michael looked up at his partner. Would he ever get used to the feelings that this amazing man stirred in him, even after almost 35 years? Probably not. "What are you doing here?" He kissed Brian on the cheek.

"Well, Sonny Boy called me and wanted to meet me for a drink. I didn't realize he was on a fact finding mission." Brian sat down next to Michael. "I'm glad to see you. You weren't there when I woke up this morning." He never got used to waking up alone. It didn't happen very often, but when it did, Brian felt as if something was off about his whole day.

"I had an early delivery to deal with. And you looked so peaceful, I didn't have the heart to wake you." Michael knew that Brian hated waking up alone, so he tried to avoid it. But they had been up late last night and Brian needed his rest.

"Well then. Here's the kiss good morning you missed." Brian kissed Michael, slowly increasing the passion. They were lost in their own little world, again.

Gus turned to Justin. "Think they would notice if we left?"

Watching Brian and Michael, he knew they wouldn't notice if aliens landed in the bar. "No, let's go."

Justin and Gus left the bar, leaving behind two men completely engrossed in each other.


End file.
